# Scott Colom becomes Mississippi’s first black senator since 1881

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/democrat-scott-colom-makes-history-as-mississippis-first-black-senator-since-19th-century/
- Published: 2026-11-12T12:56:55+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T21:02:12+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC World (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw7vppyr80eeo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Scott Colom narrowly wins Mississippi’s Senate race for Democrats.
- He is the state’s first black senator since Blanche Bruce.
- Economic concerns and local organising shaped the close contest.

## Summary

Democrat Scott Colom has narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi’s US Senate race, a surprise result in a state that has voted Republican for decades. He is the first black senator from Mississippi since Blanche Bruce served from 1875 to 1881, making the win significant both politically and historically.

Colom, 43, received 49.2% of the vote, against Hyde-Smith’s 48.7%, with fewer than 5,000 votes separating them out of nearly a million counted. He campaigned across all 82 counties, focusing on economic concerns and Hyde-Smith’s support for President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The article says Democrats will hold 55 of the Senate’s 100 seats, with Alaska’s race still undecided.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.